kolkata history

7/27/2019 Kolkata history

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COLONIALarchitecture IN India

Kolkata

SUBMITTED BY:

ADITI MATHUR [02] APARNA KULSHRESTHA [63]

PRACHI MATHUR [36]


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The arrival of the British East India Company in 1690, when the Company wasconsolidating its trade business in Bengal.

Kolkata was named the capital of British India in 1772 and remained sotill 1911. By the early 19th century, Kolkata was split into two distinct areas one British,

one Indian.

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the massive Howrah Bridge, finished in 1943 ,TheBridge spans 1,500 feet,1880s Writers Building was refaced with terracottaand conceals an earlier structure which were themercantile headquarters of the East India Company.Fort William took 13 years to construct at a cost of

more than $3.5 million.The world famous Victoria Memorial in Calcutta is one

of the finest examples of the European (western)styleof architecture found in India.

clockwise: Victoria Memorial, St. Paul's Cathedral, Downtown Kolkata, HowrahBridge, Kolkata tram, Vidyasagar Setu Bridge


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British Style of Architecture

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The British followed various architecturalstyles Gothic, Imperial, Christian, English

Renaissance and Victorian being the essentials.

British rule in India had its impacton Indian architecture too.

The main manifestations of this style of architecture were churches, barracks,

forts, residential quarters,administrative quarters etc.

The British also introducednew techniques in the

construction of buildings,

which were different from theones used by the indigenouspeople of India at that time.

The colonial style of architecture was a combination of theBritish/European style and the Indo-Islamic style, which was initself a unique combination of the Hindu and Islamic styles.

Across India Gothic architecture flourished under the British .


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The British East India Company's main Bengaltrading station was moved from Hooghly (nowHugli) to Calcutta in 1690 after a war with theMughals. Between 1696 and 1702 a fort wasbuilt in Calcutta, with the nawab (ruler) of

Bengals permission.

stupendous dimensions and is spread over an area of 532 bighas.70.9 hectares

built by: Robert Clive in the year 1781.

The Fort has huge archways, one of which is known as 'Plassey Gate'.It is said that this is the only Fortin the world from where not a

single bullet or cannon-ball hasever been shot.

Inside the Fort is theSt. Peter'sChurch which was

constructedin 1928.

Fort William Kolkata


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history of Fort William

this colossal fort was builtout of "fear psychosis" of theBritish East India Company.The Britishers became vulnerableafter their defeat at the hands of Siraj-Ud-Daula in the year 1756

The very thought of loosing Kolkata which had a very high strategic value to theBritishers. Thus, they chalked out agrandiose plan and the plan was to build an impregnable fort, octagonal in shape withthree sides facing river Ganges. Adequate provisions were made for reservoirssurrounding the fort so that there was no water scarcity. Underground tunnels wereconstructed linking the reservoirs to river Ganges,which speaks volumes about the architectural

brilliance of the farsighted Britisher.

For the welfare and relaxation of the 10,000 odd military personnel whoare residents of Fort William, the army has provided every kind of facilitieswithin the Fort premises like the emerald blue swimming pool, cinemahall, shopping mall, laundry, outdoor playground, restaurants and post office


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Architectural Beauty:

The Fort owns a brick-and-mortar structurebuilt in the shape of an irregular octagonsurrounding 5 square km of which five sideslook landward and three on the river.

surrounded by a fosse9 meter deepand 15 meter broad

which can be flooded in times of emergency.


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The Fort has huge archways, one of which is known as 'Plassey Gate'.There are six gates of the Fort Chowringhee , Plassey Calcutta, Water gate ,

St. Georges and Treasury Gate.

The design is that of a star fort, suited to defense against cannon, but frombefore the advent of explosive shells.

A telephone office,recreation club,canteen, cinema hall,restaurant, swimmingpool and wide

moat surround it.

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The fort has a vastextensive urban parknamed as the Maidan "theLungs of Kolkata"


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Fort William Kolkata

Presently it serves as a citadel of the Indian Army in Eastern India, or better to sayEastern Command Head Quarter of Indian Army.


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dedicated to Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdomand Empress of Indiaarchitect-Sir William Emerson

Vincent Esch as superviser.Garden designers- Lord Redesdale andSir David PrainEstablished- 1921

Area- 260,000 m 2 Hall-103 mX69 mHeight- 56m

Victoria memorial


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memorabilia relating to QueenVictoria and the British presence inIndia as well as other exhibits

The Memorial also contains a

Royal Gallery housing a number of portraits of Queen Victoriaand Prince Albert and paintingsillustrating their lives.

Vincent Esch's major contribution

was the redesign of the foundationsbut he also supervised theproduction of the allegoricalsculpture groups over theentrances and designed theelegant bridge on the north side,

and the gates to the gardens.


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Emerson's design was much enhancedby the sympathetic ornaments added byothers.

In the paved quadrangles and elsewherearound the building, other statues wereadded to commemorate Hastings,Cornwallis, Clive, Wellesley, andDalhousie.

central hall, scenes from the life of theQueen were painted by Frank Salisbury,

the marble statue of the young Queen isby Sir Thomas Brock.

A more elderly Queen in bronze by Sir George Frampton,In the pavedquadrangles and elsewhere around thebuilding, other statues were added to

commemorate Hastings, Cornwallis, Clive,Wellesley, and Dalhousie.

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The making of angel on thedome in Italy.The Angel of Victory is16fthigh and weighs 3 tons


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Indo-Saracenic style,incorporating Mughal elements in thestructure

Curzon insisted that the Memorial should

be built of white marble, and in the eventthe stone was brought from the samequarries in Makrana, Rajasthan, thatsupplied Shah Jahan. There is also acorrespondence in the forms: the greatdome, clustered with four subsidiary,

octagonal domed chattris, the high portals,the terrace, and the domed corner towers.

The Dome


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WRITERSBUILDING


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WRITERS BUILDING ('Mahakaran ) Location : heart of the capital city of Kolkata on the northern side of Lal Dighi,a small water body .

At a close vicinity stands the GPO.


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Previously used as :originally built as a residence for the British East IndiaCompany's clerical and administrative staff called as writers , hence the nameWriters' building.Now used as :the headquarter of the State Government of West Bengal.

(6000 government employees working )

Material used :red colour building ,made up of brick.

FRONT VIEW

OLD BUILDINGVIEW


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Architecture : classical European architecture.

Building cover 2.8 acres of land stands on 10 acres of land and Building measures235yards in length .

comprises of 13 four- storied edifices.Building measures 235yards in length .


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The following are the principal Characteristics of Indo-Saracenic Buildings

Onion (Bulbous) DomesOverhanging EavesPointed Arches, Cusped Arches,or Scalloped ArchesVaulted Roofs

Domed Kiosks

Many Miniature Domes, or DomedChatrisTowers or MinaretsHarem WindowsOpen PavilionsPierced Open Arcading


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sabjanta.com

http://www.asiarooms.com/en/travel-guide/india/kolkata/sightseeing-in-kolkata/fort-william-kolkata.html

http://www.columbia.edu

http://arts.guardian.co.uk

wikipedia.org

mapsofindia.comwww.asiarooms.com

www.timesofindiatravel.com

silvermaple.co.in

www.indianetzone.com

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